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The Cleaners #3
The Dustpan Cometh
In the aftermath of an emotion-manipulating virus that nearly wiped out the Cleaners, Dani has immersed herself in company work and training. After all, who has time for self-reflection when there are monsters to be mopped up? However, during one shift, she finds herself face-to-face with Sydney, the entropy wielding Scum able to turn anything to dust with a touch. He’s come to remind her of the deal she made so he’d spare a child’s life, and he’s not leaving until she upholds her side of the bargain—by going on a date with him.
Ben, on the other hand, is dodging trouble of his own. Desperate to restore his powers, he’s submitted increasingly absurd ideas for doing so in the Employee Suggestion box, though he expects them to just be laughed off. When a concept gets unexpectedly approved for a trial run, it makes him a target for his coworkers, who are all-too-eager to put his theory to the test. Pity that it’s designed to leave him as miserable and paranoid as possible.
Even as the two wage their private wars, strange forms of Corruption strike in the heart of Denver, transforming swaths of parks and neighborhoods into lifeless deserts and turning everything and everyone caught in the phenomena to sand.
Scrambling to contain the situation, the Cleaners quickly target Sydney as the likeliest source of the disaster. While the entropy mage denies any involvement, his reputation is hardly spotless, and plenty of Cleaners are prepared to put him down at all costs. But after encountering another potential culprit, Dani finds herself inexplicably defending her would-be beau. As her own loyalties are called into question, she must still prepare to face her greatest challenge ever…
Wearing a dress in public.
“Action, intrigue and laugh-out-loud humor in an inventive and original world. A winner!” --Gail Z. Martin, author of Vendetta & The Chronicles of the Necromancer
Ben, on the other hand, is dodging trouble of his own. Desperate to restore his powers, he’s submitted increasingly absurd ideas for doing so in the Employee Suggestion box, though he expects them to just be laughed off. When a concept gets unexpectedly approved for a trial run, it makes him a target for his coworkers, who are all-too-eager to put his theory to the test. Pity that it’s designed to leave him as miserable and paranoid as possible.
Even as the two wage their private wars, strange forms of Corruption strike in the heart of Denver, transforming swaths of parks and neighborhoods into lifeless deserts and turning everything and everyone caught in the phenomena to sand.
Scrambling to contain the situation, the Cleaners quickly target Sydney as the likeliest source of the disaster. While the entropy mage denies any involvement, his reputation is hardly spotless, and plenty of Cleaners are prepared to put him down at all costs. But after encountering another potential culprit, Dani finds herself inexplicably defending her would-be beau. As her own loyalties are called into question, she must still prepare to face her greatest challenge ever…
Wearing a dress in public.
“Action, intrigue and laugh-out-loud humor in an inventive and original world. A winner!” --Gail Z. Martin, author of Vendetta & The Chronicles of the Necromancer
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2017
160 people want to read
About the author
Josh Vogt
54 books72 followersAuthor Josh Vogt’s work covers fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, pulp, and more. His debut fantasy novel is Pathfinder Tales: Forge of Ashes, alongside the launch of his urban fantasy series, The Cleaners, with Enter the Janitor, The Maids of Wrath, and The Dustpan Cometh. He’s a freelance writer and editor, a Scribe Award and Compton Crook Award nominee, and a member of both SFWA and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. Find him at JRVogt.com or on Twitter @JRVogt.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 10, 2017
A fabulous addition to the Cleaner series. I was especially charmed by the intensive amount of character development for not only Dani and Ben, but for Jared, Sydney, and even Francis. Their growth adds that imperfectly realistic element to the story, and you find yourself struggling alongside with them as they grow. Ben particularly is my favorite character, so I enjoyed seeing him in his fight to regain his powers. Dani's elementals always make for interesting story, and I'm curious as to how she and them will develop, especially in regards to other characters. The conflict that is starting to form between the two main characters has me excited for the other books to come.
The story was thrilling and hard to put down. Each chapter was important to the story, and none of the information thrown at the reader was unnecessary or dull. The pacing was smooth and seamless, and the story developed from everyday struggles in their magical environment to a more severe danger without missing a beat. The battle scenes are always delightful. It's fun to see how each different Cleaner utilizes their powers, and what weapons they wield.
As always, the writing is a pleasant read, with the perfect balance of descriptive prose and dialogue. Vogt's voice is entertaining and intelligible, and he quickly became one of my favorite writers. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series as the story unfolds.
The story was thrilling and hard to put down. Each chapter was important to the story, and none of the information thrown at the reader was unnecessary or dull. The pacing was smooth and seamless, and the story developed from everyday struggles in their magical environment to a more severe danger without missing a beat. The battle scenes are always delightful. It's fun to see how each different Cleaner utilizes their powers, and what weapons they wield.
As always, the writing is a pleasant read, with the perfect balance of descriptive prose and dialogue. Vogt's voice is entertaining and intelligible, and he quickly became one of my favorite writers. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series as the story unfolds.
did-not-finish
March 26, 2018I've finally burned out on apostrophes. After reading an excellent example of dialect expression in Best Served Cold, where the character's class and origin are indicated by word choice and extremely judicious punctuation, I have no more patience for Ben. Too bad, as the series has otherwise been pretty enjoyable.
January 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a fun and exciting adventure with some quirky twists to it. Now I'm going to have to read the first two books in The Cleaners Series. And then I'll wish for a fourth in the series! I hope that happens.
July 29, 2020
A fun, easy read with an original premise and compelling characters, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment of The Cleaners series.
The world The Cleaners is set in is both delightful and disgusting. While it contains elements of many other urban fantasy series, it comes together in a wholly unique atmosphere which is full of surprises. The action sequences are fantastic, and, although the characters are armed with mops and plungers, they give the story a sense of urgency and danger.
If you like Buffy, Men In Black, and other fun, light urban fantasy or sci-fi, I definitely recommend The Cleaners. I'm excited for the next one!
The world The Cleaners is set in is both delightful and disgusting. While it contains elements of many other urban fantasy series, it comes together in a wholly unique atmosphere which is full of surprises. The action sequences are fantastic, and, although the characters are armed with mops and plungers, they give the story a sense of urgency and danger.
If you like Buffy, Men In Black, and other fun, light urban fantasy or sci-fi, I definitely recommend The Cleaners. I'm excited for the next one!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews